


Three of a Kind

by CourierNinetyTwo



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/F, a progressive trainwreck of gay fumbling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:55:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23687263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourierNinetyTwo/pseuds/CourierNinetyTwo
Summary: Ann's into both Haru and Makoto, but the two of them are definitely dating already. Right?
Relationships: Niijima Makoto/Okumura Haru/Takamaki Ann
Comments: 9
Kudos: 109





	Three of a Kind

The first time she saw Makoto squeeze Haru's hand, Ann knew she'd missed her shot.

That wasn't the only sign, of course. Regret wouldn't cut this deep on a single gesture, but it was the nail in the coffin she'd been building for months.

It started with President Okumura. Well, no, that was when Haru came into the mix. Everything really started the day she saw Makoto stand up to Kaneshiro, shattering the floor around her as Johanna tore through reality. Surrounded in a shroud of pristine chrome and cold fury, Makoto looked every part the rebellious queen, like she was born to conquer. Ann's heart had skipped a beat, the image seared into her mind.

To think that was _before_ they apologized to each other, before Makoto started using her first name with ease, before she saw the other girl try to eat half of a double-creme crepe in one bite and spent the rest of the afternoon wiping the sweet specks of it off her face. The student council president turned out to be just as appealing as the Phantom Thief.

Ann was used to crushes—in theory. Her first was definitely the villainess from a late-night TV show that she could only watch when both parents were out of town, beautiful and defiant no matter how many times her plans were foiled. Then there was Shiho—there were a lot of firsts with Shiho—before Kamoshida complicated everything past the lines of friendship. Sometimes there were idols she really liked, or other models she fantasized about, fleeting and out of reach.

That wasn't what Makoto made her feel. The way Ann's heart clenched and fluttered around her ribs was a real _crush_ , squeezing until she could barely breathe. It was miserable, always fumbling over her words when they talked, imagining the most transparent excuses to spend time together. She'd definitely studied the same chapter of imperial Japanese history with Makoto no less than three times, because not a single page of it stayed in her head.

Yet she hadn't done anything about it. At first they were busy—really busy, dealing with Alibaba and Mementos, with Medjed breathing down their necks—but even in calmer days, she never managed to confess her feelings, or even come close. Yes, there was a lot going on between Sae and the Phansite, and then the inevitable rise of Okumura Foods in everyone's mind, but there were chances. Chances she'd cast aside, over and over again.

She could have said it during the trip to Hawaii, when they were away from the boys time and again. Ann nearly managed to spit out the truth on the last day, but seeing Makoto change into her swimsuit had robbed her of every notion except averting her eyes. 

Part of it was not being sure if Makoto liked girls, which added another layer of complexity. Okay, she didn't talk about boys, but even after becoming a Phantom Thief, Makoto used her dignity and formality like a shield. Breaking down in giggles over a cute idol was out of the question to begin with. She never mentioned exes or a desire to get married, leaving the past and future equally in question.

Which is why learning the truth through Haru was all the more agonizing. Ann saw the chemistry between them in an instant, when the wayward Beauty Thief complimented Makoto's clothes, and the dark-haired girl turned scarlet under that steel mask. She saw the smile on Haru's face when Makoto approved of 'Noir' without hesitation.

That in itself wasn't proof, but the moment Noir's true identity was revealed, all the pieces fell together. Makoto and Haru were both third-years and well-regarded at Shujin, save for the few (sensible) students whose fear outpaced respect. Even when everything went wrong, when President Okumura died, Makoto understood Haru's pain in a way the rest of them could scarcely comprehend. Ann felt adrift in guilt, unsure how to help when she held a share of the blame.

It got easier, when they found out the truth. Makoto reached out to Haru time and again, in their group chats and study nights, and Ann couldn't even summon the will to be jealous. It was strange, because logically she _should_ have been, but the feeling was a lot closer to longing—maybe FOMO. Except what was she missing out on? Having a girlfriend? It hadn't bothered her when Akira started going out on dates.

If that wasn't enough, she also liked Haru. Really, _really_ liked. Ann saw through the layers of her gentle demeanor, where a core of true kindness was backed by steely resilience. The older girl endured so much and still held everything together with a grace that Ann wanted to wrap around her like a cloak. It was the age-old struggle of wanting to _be_ Haru or be _with_ her, and the fact that there was a _with_ at all when Makoto was right there—

"Ann, you look like you're going to explode," Akira murmured under his breath.

She jumped in her seat, nearly knocking her shake and Big Bang Burger off the table with the impact of landing again. "Oh! Uh..."

"You said you wanted to talk." There was a hint of a smile on his eyes; of course Akira had noticed her freakout, but he was nice enough not to mention it. "I'm here to listen."

He was good at listening, but she still had to fit the words together. Maybe it was just better to be blunt. "I...I have a crush on Makoto."

Akira made no comment, staring at her like he was waiting for more. Ann felt heat rush up the back of her neck, putting two and two together. "I guess that's not a surprise."

The smile emerged on his lips, kind but cheeky. "Not really."

"But I also, maybe...have a crush on Haru too?" It felt real the moment she said it out loud, like a key that opened a hundred locks at once. "Okay, that isn't a maybe. I definitely do and it's so awkward, because, you know..."

Ann trailed off, folding her hands into her lap. If she didn't get control of them now, she'd start fidgeting, and probably fling her shake halfway across the restaurant. 

Akira shrugged. "I think being honest is your best bet. What harm is it going to do?"

Beyond breaking up a happy relationship? Ann blinked at him, unsure how to reply. "I kind of don't want to risk losing two friends at once."

"You'll be fine," he answered, without hesitation. "Ryuji and Morgana are friends again now too, you know."

That was true, but didn't inspire much confidence. Ann smiled, and decided to swiftly change the subject.

She stuffed the conversation with Akira into a deep locker of embarrassment until a week later in Mementos. Akira had gone, well, _wherever_ he disappeared to on the days they fought down here, leaving Morgana bouncing on his feet in boredom. Ryuji was half-asleep against one of the walls after a late night catching up with his favorite manga, while Futaba tapped at a green weave of keys and screens.

Makoto and Haru were away from the rest, quietly chatting with one another while the former sat astride Johanna, the Persona's engine whirring with quiet power. 

"Hey, Ann?" Morgana whispered, eyes bright and eager. "You've been on dates, right?"

She bit her tongue. This seemed like an excuse for him to flirt with her, but whatever. "Kind of? Nothing super serious."

"Ugh, how am I supposed to learn about this stuff?" He crossed his arms, the fur on the back of Morgana's neck puffing up. "Ryuji told me to watch reality TV, Akira just smiled at me, and Makoto said she's too busy with studying to date."

Ann blinked. "What about Haru?"

"Does being engaged count as dating?" Morgana's mouth shrunk into a frown. "I mean, she broke the contract and that guy was _terrible_. I don't want to be like that."

For a second, she considered that Makoto had just been blowing Morgana off—which, _fair_ —but Ann was seized with the compulsion to know the truth. She left him mumbling to himself and crossed red-tinted tile to where Makoto and Haru were talking. Fortune was supposed to favor the brave, right?

"Is everything okay, Ann?" Haru asked, eyes widening a touch behind her mask.

 _Please_ favor the brave, she prayed. "Are you and Makoto together? Like dating, together."

Ann expected any number of reactions, from outright denial to a cold statement about her rudeness, but Makoto and Haru both turning bright red and stammering hadn't been anywhere near the top of the list.

"Well, I...she—" Makoto cleared her throat. "I'd be honored. Well, not _honored_ , that isn't the right term—"

"I've already leaned on her so much," Haru babbled, accidentally interrupting, "and I don't want to treat her like a rebound, not when my feelings are also, um—"

Both girls stopped, looked at each other, and then stared at Ann. Now it was her turn to blush, burning hotter than Carmen on the battlefield. "Oh. I've assumed this whole time, because I..."

"I like you _both_ ," Haru muttered under her breath, eyes averted and voice soft.

Johanna's engine roared to life, and Makoto stiffened, yanking her hand off the throttle. "Sorry! I only meant to...you do?"

Ann had been walloped upside the head by more than one Shadow, sending the world spinning in a hundred directions, and that didn't begin to compare with how dizzy she felt right now. "Yeah, could you say that again? I kind of feel like I'm hallucinating."

This time Haru managed a smile, sheepish and small. Her cheeks were still pink. "I didn't want to drag either of you into what happened with Sugimura. Or the company. Everything that happened with my father. Mm, it felt selfish."

"We're already a part of it," Makoto countered gently. Warm red eyes flickered over to Ann, lingering with a weight that made her shiver. "Aren't we?"

"Y-yeah," Ann agreed. "You're not dragging us anywhere, Haru."

If there was an _us_. Her heart surged at the thought. 

"Maybe," Ann continued, laying one hand lightly over Makoto's steel-studded wrist, and the other against Haru's fine purple glove, "we can get some coffee after this and talk about it?"

Haru's smile turned radiant. "I'd love to."

Despite the color lingering on her face, Makoto's nod was resolute. "Please."

"Hey, what are you guys talking about over there?" Ryuji shouted from the other end of the entrance. "Joker's back."

Ann turned around, carefully displacing her hands, and locked eyes with their leader. He had the exact same smile in his gaze from when they were at Big Bang Burger together, and it took everything she had not to blush again. No wonder he'd encouraged her.

"Nothing! Let girls have their secrets," she called back to Ryuji. 

"Aw, come on!" Morgana protested. "I don't have any secrets because I can't remember anything!"

"That only adds to your mystique, Mona," Haru chimed in.

He settled in an instant, soothed by the compliment, and Ann swallowed a laugh. She felt lighter than ever, ready to tear through a dozen floors if that's what it took to get to the end of the night.

"I was going to offer a ride downstairs," Makoto said under her breath, "but I can't fit three people. Do you think I could talk Johanna into a sidecar?"

"If you want it enough, maybe it'll manifest on its own," Ann teased.

It felt so good to see Makoto blush because of her, and just as delightful when Haru's smirk turned wicked. "I'm sure we can be very convincing."

After a flustered glance in either direction, Makoto sped off towards the first floor of Mementos. Haru hid a giggle behind her hand, then turned that perfectly villainous smile on Ann. It sent a thrill through her that she couldn't quite put a finger on. Although maybe if Haru put her fingers on—

Ann bit her tongue and put that image aside for later.

Who'd have thought they'd be three of a kind?

—


End file.
